Warriors: Deep Mist: Hope's Return
by Goldmoonrider
Summary: The Battle is over. The Clan's feel safe. But they are not. Only one kit, a daughter or son of Dovewing and soposovly Bumblestripe, is the last chance the Clan's have. Breezepelt has taken over the Dark Forest, and he has risen higher than Tigerstar ever could have. Now, it is up to the Ancients and StarClan to choose their hero. Please Review!
1. Allegiances and Prolouge

Alligiences

ThunderClan

Leader: Bramblestar: dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Deputy: Squirrelflight: dark ginger she-cat with green eyes

Medicine Cat: Jayfeather: gray tabby tom with blind blue eyes

Medicine Cat Apprentice: Seedpaw

Warriors:

Leafpool: light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes, former medicine cat

Apprentice: Dewpaw

Spiderleg: long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes

Apprentice: Amberpaw

Birchfall: light brown tabby tom

Berrynose: cream-colored tom

Apprentice: Snowpaw

Hazeltail: smell gray-and-white she-cat

Mousewhisker: gray-and-white tom

Lionblaze: golden tabby tom with amber eyes

Foxleap: reddish tabby tom

Toadstep: black-and-white tom

Rosepetal: dark cream she-cat

Blossomfall: tortoiseshell and white she-cat

Bumblestripe:very pale gray tom with black stripes

Cherrynose: ginger she-cat

Molefoot: brown-and-cream tom

Lilycloud: Dark tabby she-cat with white patches

Apprentices:

Seedpaw: very pale ginger she-cat

Dewpaw: Light gray tom with blue eyes

Amberpaw: Dark ginger tom with amber eyes

Snowpaw: White tom with blue eyes

Queens:

Daisy: Cream long-furred she-cat

Whitewing: white she-cat with green eyes (expecting Birchfall's kits)

Icecloud: white she-cat (mother of Mousewhisker's kits, Lightningkit (pure white she-kit with strange white eyes), Oakkit (gray-and-white tom))

Dovewing: pale gray she-cat with blue-green eyes (mother of Bumblestripe's kits, Hopekitkit (dark brown tabby she-cat with deep amber eyes), Leopardkit (ginger tom with black spots), Flamekit (ginger tom with green eyes))

Ivypool: silver-and-white tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes (expecting Foxleap's kits)

Elders:

Graystripe: long-haired gray tom

Duststorm: dark brown tabby tom

Sandstorm: pale ginger she-cat with green eyes

Brankenfur: golden brown tom with white nose fur

Cloudtail: long-haired white tom with blue eyes

Brightheart: white she-cat with ginger patches

Millie: stripped gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Thornclaw: golden brown tabby tom

ShadowClan

Leader: Roanstar: ginger tom

Deputy: Ratscar: brown tom with long scar across his back

Medicine cat: Littlecloud: very small and old tabby tom

Medicine cat Apprentice: Mistpaw

Warriors:

Smokefoot: Black tom

Toadfoot: dark brown tom

Crowfrost: black-and-white tom

Tawnypelt: tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

Olivenose: tortoiseshell she-cat

Owlclaw: light brown tabby tom

Shrewfoot: gray she-cat with black feet

Scorchfur: dark gray tom

Tigerheart: dark brown tabby tom

Dawnpelt: cream-furred she-cat

Pinenose: black she-cat

Ferretclaw: cream-and-gray tom

Starlingwing: ginger tom

Queens:

Ivytail: black, white, and tortoiseshell she-cat

Applefur: mottled brown she-cat (expecting Smokefoot's kits)

Snowbird: pure-white she-cat (mother of Crowfrost's kits, Bluekit, Cloudkit and Willowkit)

Elders:

Snaketail: dark brown tom with tabby striped tail

Whitewater: white she-cat with long fur, blind in one eye

Kinkfur: tabby she-cat, with long fur that sticks out at all angles

WindClan

Leader: Onestar: brown tabby tom

Deputy: Ashfoot: gray she-cat

Medicine cat: Kestrelflight: mottled gray tom

Medicine cat apprentice: Whiskernose

Warriors:

Crowfeather: dark gray tom

Owlwhisker: light brown tabby tom

Whitetail: small white she-cat

Apprentice: Blackpaw

Nightcloud: black she-cat

Gorsetail: very pale gray-and-white tom with blue eyes

Weaselfur: ginger tom with white paws

Leaftail: dark tabby tom, amber eyes

Emberfoot: gray tom with two dark paws

Heathertail: light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Sedgewhiskers: light brown tabby she-cat

Swallowtail: dark gray she-cat

Sunstrike: tortoiseshell she-cat with large white mark on forehead

Furzepelt: gray-and-white she-cat

Boulderpelt: large pale gray tom

Elders:

Tornear: tabby tom

RiverClan

Leader: Misystar: gray she-cat with blue eyes

Deputy: Reedwhisker

Medicine Cat: Willowshine

Warriors:

Mintfur: light gray tabby tom

Icewing: white she-cat with blue eyes

Apprentice: Ripplepaw

Minnowtail: dark gray she-cat

Pebblefoot: mottled gray tom

Mallownose: light brown tabby tom

Robinwing: tortoiseshell-and-white tom

Petalfur: gray-and-white she-cat

Grasspelt: light brown tom

Hollowflight: dark brown tabby tom

Troutclaw: pale gray tabby she-cat with green eyes

Mossyfoot: brown-and-white she-cat

Rushstream: light brown tabby tom

Queens:

Duskfur: brown tabby she-cat

Mosspelt: tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

Elders:

Graymist: pale gray tabby she-cat

Cats Outside The Clans

Smoky: muscular gray-and-white tom who lives in a barn at the horseplace

Floss: small

Prolouge:

Wind blew through the trees, spreading shadows across the wet forest floor. The she-cat padded through the forest, hardly touching the ground as her star-lit paws padded across the earth. Her long black bushy tail flowed like a river behind her, barely touching the breeze. Her emrald gaze was set straight, round and watchful, as if waiting for something to appear. Soon, she pushed her way through a bush and into a moonlit meadow.

The tall grass flowed like a horse's mane, swaying back and forth in the wind. The trees surrounding the meadow seemed to speak to the black cat as she slowly made her way forward into the grass. The moon was high above the meadow, looking down upon the she-cat as she walked towards the meadow's center, making no sound.

She soon exited the tall grass and stood on a large soft patch of deep green grass. In front of her, three cats were sitting on the edge of the ring, swaying their tails. The black she-cat dipped her head to these cats as she stood.

"Bluestar, Firestar, Sunstar." She spoke to the cats in a calm voice. "I have come like you requested of me." Her green gaze flickered from each of the leaders.

Bluestar dipped her head back. "Hollyleaf, it is good to see you again." She meowed, flicking her blue-silver tail in the moonlight. "Yes, we did request you to come tonight." She nodded over to Firestar, who sat next to her, his own green gaze on Hollyleaf. "Firestar has some news."

The flame-like ginger tom dipped his head to Bluestar, then looked back at Hollyleaf. "Hollyleaf, it's about Dovewing's kits. A new prophecy has come to me, and I fear only they can make it come true."

Hollyleaf glulped. "But, they're just kits. They would know nothing about saving a Clan!"

"It was not of my choosing. It was of the Ancient's choosing." He said calmly. "It was they who chose this, and they who will tell the kit who it belongs to."

Hollyleaf opened her mouth to object, then closed it and dipped her head. "They are the ones to carry it out. Now, what must I do?"

Sunstar spoke this time. "You must tell the kit that the Ancestor's choose. They will tell you when the time is right. Now, let us go and watch over our kin, for they will need watching."

Hollyleaf nodded and padded back the way she came.


	2. Chapter 1

"Mrrrroooowwww!" Dovewing wailed from inside the nursery. Bumblestripe paced outside of the entrance, stopping every time the yowling ended. The rest of the Clan waited patiently as Daisy and the rest of the queens worked hard to help the young she-cat give bith to Bumblestripe's kits. Bramblestar was consulting quietly with Squirrelflight, who had just been announced to be a mother in a moon. Their ear tips were touching, murming silently back and forth.

A loud squeak erupted from the nursery, and Bumblestripe leapt to his paws and darted toward the entrance to the den that held his mate and newborn kits. Before getting to the opening in the nursery, he was stopped by Daisy, who hissed at him.

"She's having a hard time giving birth." She growled. "This is only the first. And, " she added quietly. "It's a girl."

The Clan gave yowls of excitment, and Bumblestripe just about lost his footing with joy. The former queen turned back into the nursery, where another yowl followed her in. Bumblestripe shivered and tried to peer inside, but a tail touched his shoulder. The tabby tom jumped and turned to see Lionblaze standing, his eyes seeming blank but Bumblestripe could see a hint of terror.

"She'll be alright." His soft meow calmed Bumblestripe down a bit. "She's a strong cat. It will be ok."

Bumblestripe nodded shakily and looked back at the nursery. Another yowl errupted from the nursery, followed by two more squeaks. Daisy padded out of the den and dipped her head to Bumblestripe.

"You are now the proud father of two toms and a she-kit," She meowed, and the new father glowed with pride. With the elderly she-cat's permision he bounded inside and found his mate laying on her side in her nest. At her stomach, three kits were suckling. Two were ginger, and the last one, a she-kit, was a dark brown tabby who was smaller than her brothers.

Dovewing looked up at the pale gray tom and for a moment, Bumblestripe saw a pang of relief, but then it vanished in a swirl of tiredness and even a tiny bit of sadness. The queen bent over, licked the dark brown tabby she-kit, then lay back, letting out a sigh of happiness. Bumblestripe padded over and lay in the soft nest next to her, letting out a sigh before falling asleep, nose to nose with his mate...

* * *

"Get off me, you big lump!" Hopekit hissed as her brother, Flamekit, leaped onto her, squashing her like a mouse underneath a heavy warrior. The ginger tom pushed himself off and crouched low, ready for an attack. Hopekit huffed as the voice of their mother entered her dark brown ears.

"Kits, it's time for a bath," Dovewing was sitting next to the entrance of the nursery, her tail curled neatly around her paws. Ivypool sat beside her, watching her sister's kits rampage around the camp like badgers.

Beside her, Flamekit let out a tiny growl that Hopekit almost though she had imagined. "Do we have to have a bath?" He hissed into his into his sister's ear.

Hopekit nodded. "Yes, or do you want to look like a dirty fox tomorrow?" She mewed, excitment escaping from her voice as she said 'tomorrow'. On the next sunrise, the three kits, Hopekit, Flamekit and Leopardkit, were to be given their apprentice names and mentors. She bounced at the thought of who might be her mentor. She let her gaze glide over her Clanmates who were already up.

Bramblestar was consulting quietly next to his den with his mate and deputy Squirrelflight; Lionblaze was padded to the fresh-kill pile with his dawn patrol which included Foxleap, Berrynose and Snowpaw. On the other side of camp Dewpaw was showing his mentor, Leafpool, a new trick he had figured up. Hazeltail was sharing a vole next to a stump near to the camp entrance with Toadstep, and then Hopekit saw someone who she thought had to become her mentor: Cherrynose.

The ginger she-cat was padding out of camp with her patrol of Birchfall, Rosepetal, Molefoot and Lilycloud. Cherrynose was Hopekit's favorite cat in the entire Clan. She was always trying to get extra time with the kits, and she loved to show them hunting moves and sometimes even some battle moves. Hopekit could NOT let Bramblestar make someone else be her mentor; she just couldn't.

A hard shove pushed Hopekit into Flamekit, and the dark brown tabby she-cat turned to see Lightningkit staring down at her with huge green eyes.

"What'd you do that for?!" The smaller kit growled.

Oakkit, Lightningkit's brother, padded up to stand next to his brother and mockingly growled back at her. "Because you're smaller, that's why." He sneered at her.

Hopekit's ear-tips began to burn in anger. "Just because I'm smaller doesn't make any difference."

Before she could raise her claws into a fight, Lightningkit pushed his way between the battlehungry cats, glaring at his brother. "Oakkit, that's enough." Then he looked at Hopekit with round soft eyes. "Are you alright?" He asked, wiping the dust off her back with his bushy tail.

Before she could reply, Flamekit barged in. "Why on earth did you do that?" He hissed in annoyance.

"Hopekit, Flamekit!" Dovewing called from the nursery entrance where she was finishing up cleaning Leopardkit up.

Hopekit glanced at the two older toms, then bounded off towards her mother. Leopardkit squealed as their mother licked the rump of his tail, then nodded for Flamekit to come up for his bath. The kit hesitated, then let his mother lick him from head to toe. Behind them Hopekit heard Oakkit sneer as Dovewing cleaned Flamekit's cheek, and the tabby she-kit hissed back at them, though it didn't do much good. Oakkit just hissed mockingly back and turned to the fresh-kill pile, shaking his tail high in the air behind him. Hopekit noticed Lightningkit hesitate to move when his brother called for him from picking through the pile of prey, but slowly got up and pad over to him.

"I'll clean you up, Hopekit." Bumblestripe padded over to stand next to his mate, flicking his tail for his only daughter to sit in front of him.

The she-kit rolled her eyes and sat down in front of him, ready for her bath. As her father began to run his rough tounge over her soft fur, she looked up at her father. "Why don't I have gray fur like you and mother?" She asked, somehow letting the words slip from her mouth.

The tom stopped and looked at her with round eyes. "Why would you ask that?" He mewed questioningly.

Hopekit shrugged and looked forward again. "Just cause it seems like I'm the only dark brown tabby among our kin..." She glanced at Bramblestar, who also had dark brown tabby fur and amber eyes, then at Dustpelt, who lay basking his dark brown tabby fur in the golden sun.

"Alright, your as clean as a stream." Bumblestripe meowed and stepped back to let Hopekit pad off. The kit bounded towards Leopardkit, who was sitting in front of the medicine cat den, peering inside.

She stopped next to her brother and followed his gaze to see Jayfeather showing Seedpaw some herbs. The blind tom was pulling different herbs out of cracks in the wall, giving Seedpaw a lecture about each one. Everytime the tom said something new, the apprentice would nod and peer into space, as if to be day dreaming. Hopekit didn't think that Seedpaw liked being a medicine cat apprentice, but just shrugged and looked back at her brother.

"Why are you always sitting right outside of _this _den and watching them?" She mewed unhappily. "Why can't you come and play with us?"

The spotted tom looked back at her with his large blue eyes. "Don't you like watching Jayfeather?" He asked, looking back at the old tom who was now telling Seedpaw to sort out all the herbs. "It looks like so much fun learning about all those herbs. And," He added, looking back at his sister. "If you were a medicine cat, you don't have to worry about a mate."

At this, the tabby kit stared at her brother, startled. "You don't want a mate, one to love?" She asked desperately.

Leopardkit blinked at her. "Of course not, why would I?" Before Hopekit could reply, the ginger tabby kit trotted off towards fresh-kill pile, tail raised high in the air.


	3. Chapter 2

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey meet here below me for a meeting of the Clan!" Bramblestar's yowled woke Hopekit and she scrambled out of the nest excitedly. She was going to become an apprentice, finally!

Beside her, Leopardkit leapt out of the nest and started grooming himself, getting ready to become an apprentice. Hopekit sighed sadly. She would never get to train with her own brother, the one she actually close to, because he was going to train as a medicine cat.

Leopardkit must have heard his sister's sigh because he said "Don't worry, sis. You'll still get to see me." But his words helped none and she flinched away as he tried to touch her with his tail.

Hopekit padded out of the den and into the clearing where she spotted Lightningpaw and Oakpaw sitting outside the apprentice den. They had been made apprentice's the day before, since they were older. She saw Oakpaw sneer at her, as if say she wasn't going to be a warrior because of how small she was. It was true though. She was the runt of her litter. She sighed and padded into the crowd.

Bramblestar spotted her and her brothers. "Hopekit, Leopardkit and Flamekit, please come forth." He called.

Proudly, Hopekit padded up to High Ledge and humor onto it, staring up at her leader. Up close, he was huge, with large muscles and strong Amber eyes. She gulped, but tried to remain calm as her brothers hoped up beside her. She looked into the crowd and saw her parents looking at her with proud eyes. That made her feel safe.

"Now, Leopardkit, I know that you have always wanted to be a medicine cat, but right now Seedpaw is still training-"

"Wait, Bramblestar." From in the crowd Hopekit saw Seedpaw making her way to the front. "Earlier today I told Jayfeather that I didn't want to be a medicine cat, because I don't anymore. I want to be able to be a mother and have kits and a mate, not to be stuck up in a den all day. Let Leopardkit be a medicine cat apprentice, please."

Bramblestar peered at Seedpaw, then sighed. "Alright, you may become a warriors apprentice. I was going to have Molefoot be Leopardkit's mentor, but I guess he can mentor you, Seedpaw. Jayfeather, do you mind if Leopardkit becomes your apprentice?"

From in the crowd, Jayfeather stood up and padded to the ledge and dipped his head. "It would be my honor." He peered at Leopardkit with blind blue eyes. "He already knows some about herbs. He will be a wonderful apprentice."

Bramblestar nodded. "Leopardpaw, go and touch noses with your new mentor."

Leopardpaw leapt off the rock happily and touched noses with Jayfeather. Then the two looked back up at Hopekit and Flamekit. Bramblestar flicked his tail to Flamekit.

"Foxleap, you have proved yourself ready for an apprentice. I hope you will pass on your knoledge of battle and hunting to Flamepaw."

Flamepaw leapt off the ledge and touched noses with his new apprentice. Hopekit gulped; now it was her turn. She tensed as she felt eyes touch her fur and she looked shakily down at Cherrynose. The older she-cat nodded, reasuring her that everything was alright. Hopekit nodded back and looked up at her leader, who peered down at the kit with large eyes. He then looked back at Cherrynose.

"Cherrynose, you have proved yourself capable of leading a patrol and other cats, and you helped save the Clans during the great battle by sending messages to the other Clans. I feel you are ready to recieve your first apprentice, Hopepaw." Cherrynose nodded and padded up to the ledge.

Hopepaw leapt down and touched noses with her new mentor. As she did, pride filled her chest. She was an apprentice, unlike what Oakpaw had said. Now she was a big cat, and soon she would be allowed to fight beside warriors in battles. Her heart raced as she looked back up at her leader.

Bramblestar leapt off the ledge. "Go and teach your apprentices everything you know," He meowed to the new mentors. "This meeting is over!"

Harepaw bounced with excitement and stared up at Cherrynose. "Where are going to go first!" She meowed excitedly.

Cherrynose twitched her whiskers in amusement. "I'm taking you over to the ShadowClan Broder and let you put the scent marks up."

Hopepaw bounced with excitement again and started off towards the camp entrance, Cherrynose at her side. As she left the camp, she looked around the forest with wonder. She had never been outside the camp before, and this was a strange world to her. It was more green, and open, and not as many cats. She couldn't hear as much clamor and it seemed a bit more, peaceful. But that peace ended when she heard a loud yowled of excitement.

She twisted around to see Flamepaw bouncing through the forest, pouncing on any leave that dared to cross his path. Hopepaw hissed in annoyance and turned back to follow her mentor. Once she had caught up with the older she-cat she tried walking the same way Cherrynose did, calm and gracefully. But that didn't work and she kept falling behind, so she just stuck to padding her own way.

Soon, a wretched stench touched her nose and she scrunched it up in annoyance. Her mentor must have seen because she laughed and said "That's ShadowClan scent."

Bluepaw's eyes widened in horror. "You mean they like smelling like that?"

"No one really knows," her mentor replied, then stiffened as they got to the border.

Hopepaw looked at her mentor, then followed her gaze to see why she was acting like this. She too gasped in horror.

In front of them five huge cats stalked through the trees along the border, sniffing around and putting up new scent marks. Hopepaw's eyes glazed over the cats until she came to the lead cat, a huge dark brown tabby Tom with dangerous amber eyes She stared at him for a minute, then looked up at Cherrynose.

"What are we going to do?" She asked quietly, gazing back at the lead Tom who was now sniffing at the border.

Cherrynose sighed. "We just need to act calm and just put up our markers. If we leave them be, they will leave us be. Come, let's go put our scent on the border."

The she-cat padded out of the bushes and into the clearing, Hopepaw following slowly behind. As they did, the brown tabby Tom looked up and started growling.

"What do you want," he said in a deep voice much like Bramblestar's own.

Cherrynose stopped at the border and looked back at Hopepaw. "I'm just showing my apprentice the border." She meowed, looking back at the Tom. "Do you have a problem with that, Tigerheart?"

Behind Tigerheart, a tortoiseshelle she-cat padded up to the Tom and spotted Cherrynose, her eyes softening. "Cherrynose, greetings." She said in a calm and somewhat sweet voice. "How's prey running?"

Tigerheart flicked his tail in annoyance. "Stay out of this, mother," he growled, then looked back at Cherrynose. "Just put up the scent markers and be on your way."

Cherrynose nodded and flicked her tail for Hopepaw to follow her. They padded over to the border and while Cherrynose put up the marks, Hopepaw looked back over at the patrol. She shook out her thick fur and waited for Cherrynose to finish. Once she had, they headed back to camp.

* * *

"How'd it go?" As Hopepaw padded into camp, Leopardpaw padded up to meet her.

Hopepaw flicked her tail. "Fine," she meowed and padded over to the fresh-kill pile where she picked out a vole and padded over to her brother to eat it. Before she could, Oakpaw rammed into her. She shook her head and brushed herself off as she stood up.

"What was that for!" She hissed.

Oakpaw mockingly hissed back to her. "Just for the fun of it." He meowed, laughter filling up his voice.

Behind him, Lightningpaw pushed his brother into the fresh-kill pile. Oakpaw yowled and glared at his brother.

"What was that for!" He growled.

Lightningpaw laughed. "Just for the fun of it," he mocked, then turned to Hopepaw. "He won't be bothering you again." He said, then turned away to get something to eat.


End file.
